Pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin puree

My family, overall, has never been a big fan of pumpkin pie. I often wondered why so many of the pumpkin pies that you can buy are so dark in color and often have a taste that is, well, not great! I decided about 20 years ago to make one using fresh pumpkin puree and now my family looks forward to this pie every Thanksgiving and it has really become a family favorite. Pumpkin puree is not difficult to make and in my opinion well worth the effort. You can use it for cakes, bread, cookies, and of course pumpkin pie! You can substitute canned pumpkin in this recipe if you prefer. I have also opted to use a pre-made frozen crust but you can certainly use a homemade crust if you like. For my purposes, frozen crust works really well, tastes good, and is a time-saving option when you are making a larger quantity of pies. I typically make 8 to 10 pies and freeze them so that we can enjoy them a couple of times during the colder months.

For the pumpkin puree, you will need baking pumpkins. You will cut them in half, and remove the stems, seeds, and strings. Place them cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork and the skin starts to peel away. Once cooled, scrape the pumpkin from the skin into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Click here to watch the video!

To make the filling for a pie:

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (or 1 - 15 oz can if using canned)

1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1- 9 inch deep dish pie crust (unbaked)

Topping:

Whipped cream (if desired)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all of the ingredients (except the crust) in the blender and pulse until combined. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for 35-45 minutes more, until filling is set and only moves slightly in the center when giggled. Watch your crust while baking, as you may want to cover crust edges with a foil strip during baking to prevent it from becoming too dark. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until serving. Cover with plastic wrap and keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or you can freeze for up to 2 months. I typically freeze mine unbaked so that we can enjoy the smell of freshly baked pie when we want one. It takes a bit longer to bake them from frozen, usually 15-20 minutes more at the lower temperature.

Serve with whipped cream (if desired). Serve with lots of whipped cream if you like it as much as we do. 😊

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does and wish you many blessings. With love ❤️